Police: Lyft driver attacked by bicyclist while stuck in traffic in Midtown Manhattan
MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WABC) -- Police are searching for the suspect who assaulted a Lyft driver while he was stopped in traffic in Midtown Manhattan.
The incident happened January 18 in the vicinity of East 40th Street and Fifth Avenue. A bicyclist and the for-hire vehicle were both going south on Fifth when the bicyclist started banging on the car window.
When the driver turned on 40th Street and got stuck in traffic, police say the attacker used the bicycle lock to smash the front windshield and rear window of the 23-year-old man's car.
When the driver stepped out of his car to avoid the shattered glass from the windshield, the suspect struck him in the head and back with the bicycle lock, investigators said.
After the driver managed to get away, the man climbed on top of the car, screamed and stomped over the roof and hood before jumping off and fleeing the scene on a black and green bicycle. There were never any words exchanged between the two.
The victim was treated and released from a nearby hospital.
Police describe the suspect as a black male with long dreadlocks, last seen wearing a gray hooded sweater, a black jacket, black sweatpants, black sneakers and he had on a black backpack.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
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